Instacart, PlateJoy partner to deliver recommended groceries to dieters

The makers of a virtual nutritionist app, PlateJoy, have partnered with Instacart to offer same-day delivery of the foods that they recommended to users through the PlateJoy app

A subscription to PlateJoy costs $59 for six months. Users get food recommendations for themselves and family, cooking tips and recipes, and access to a personal nutritionist they can consult through PlateJoy.

Founder and CEO Christina Bognet said that the $10 per month cost of PlateJoy compares to fees of about $150 to see a nutritionist for just one session and a one-week meal plan.

She added, “Dieting has gotten a bad rap, but diet-related changes could curb health care costs in the country by more than $70 billion dollars, according to USDA estimates.”

The PlateJoy app asks users for 50 different data points about their health and taste preferences before churning out recommendations. Its “personalization quiz” asks about users’ favorite ingredients, allergies, the size of their family, weight loss goals, schedule and more.

The meal plan PlateJoy generates for users is then formed around users’ self-reported needs and preferences.

While it offers dieting advice, PlateJoy is not certified as a mobile medical app.

The CEO declined to comment on the terms of the Instacart partnership, including whether PlateJoy gets a cut of sales in exchange for leads or new customers it generates for its partner.

Both companies are backed by Y Combinator.

Instacart also powers grocery delivery for major stores like Whole Foods Market, Costco and gourmet grocers Andronicos.

Via PlateJoy, users will pay the cost of ingredients plus a $7 delivery fee, typically, Bognet said.

In a press statement, PlateJoy said it would now become competitive with meal-kit delivery startups such as Blue Apron, Plated or others.

However, foods shipped via Instacart to those who order through PlateJoy will not be pre-measured or prepped and ready to cook.

PlateJoy has raised approximately $2 million in funding from investors including Y Combinator, Foundation Capital, 500Startups, Sherpa Ventures, and individual angels including Stripe CEO Patrick Collison, actor and musician Jared Leto and Joanne Wilson.